Hat-Trick Hero: Saleh Sends Al-Ittihad Soaring into King’s Cup Round of 16
Al-Ittihad Advances to the Round of 16 in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup
Al-Ittihad secured their spot in the round of 16 in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup competition after defeating Al-Ain 3-0 in the 32nd round match.
Al-Ittihad’s hat-trick was scored by Saleh Al-Shehri, who led the team’s attacking line alongside Abdul-Ilah Hawsawi, Rajkovic, Fabinho, and Miyati.
The team fielded a different lineup from previous matches, featuring a young midfield with Hamed Al-Ghamdi making his first appearance this season.
Al-Ittihad dominated the match from the start, with Abdul Aziz Al-Bishi penetrating the Al-Ain defense in the first minute. However, he was forced to leave the match early due to an injury, and Ziad Al-Rifai replaced him in the 6th minute.
In the 25th minute, Saleh Al-Shehri scored the first goal for Al-Ittihad, followed by a second goal in the 29th minute, which was scored by Ziad Al-Rifai.
The first half ended with Al-Ittihad leading 2-0, and the team maintained their superiority throughout the match.
In the second half, Al Ain attempted to improve their performance, but Al-Ittihad’s defense held strong. Saleh Al-Shehri scored his third goal in the 65th minute, securing Al-Ittihad’s victory.

Al-Ittihad’s victory marked their advancement to the round of 16 in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup competition.
Al-Shabaab also secured a spot in the round of 16 with a 3-1 win over Al-Khulaud.
